Each yr, on 1 December, folks across the globe commemorate World AIDS Day. The world unites to help these dwelling with HIV and to recollect those who’ve misplaced their lives to AIDS. First noticed in 1988, the day stays as related as we speak. There is a essential want to boost consciousness of the influence of AIDS on folks’s lives, to finish the stigma and discrimination and to enhance the standard of life of individuals dwelling with the virus.
It’s stated that AIDS doesn’t unfold by viruses however by ignorance and lack of know-how. Thus, as educated and thoughtful members of society, we should perceive the situation, its implications and the way we may also help curb the unfold of this lethal virus.
To perceive what AIDS is and the way an individual will get it, we have to take a couple of steps again and familiarise ourselves with HIV. We all have heard of the prefix HIV being added earlier than AIDS, however how many people know why the illness is known as so? Let’s dig in.
What is HIV?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Scientists suspect that Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) jumped from chimpanzees and mutated itself into HIV when folks consumed contaminated chimp meat. HIV was rampant in Africa across the Twenties and migrated to different components of the world over the course of the next a long time. It was within the yr 1959 that researchers first found HIV in human blood samples and it took one other 20 years for it to hit public consciousness!
Going by its identify, this virus assaults our immune cells known as CD4 cells. CD4 cells are a selected kind of WBC known as T-cells that flow into across the physique, detecting infections, faults and anomalies in different cells.
HIV targets and infiltrates these CD4 cells and exploits them to create copies of themselves. Healthy cells are destroyed on this course of which reduces the physique’s capability to fight different infections and illnesses. This will increase the danger and influence of opportunistic infections and a few varieties of most cancers which we’ll focus on later within the article.
So now that we all know what HIV is and the way it’s detrimental to our well being, let’s proceed to decipher its affiliation with the infamous illness known as AIDS.
Making Sense Of AIDS
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and is the third and most superior stage of HIV. While wholesome adults usually have a CD4 rely of 500 to 1,600 per cubic millimetre, an individual recognized with AIDS has a CD4 rely that goes beneath 200 cells per cubic millimetre.
Doctors additionally establish somebody with AIDS if they’ve HIV and develop an opportunistic an infection or most cancers that’s uncommon in folks with out HIV.
We’ve been utilizing the time period ‘opportunistic infection’ with out elucidating what it truly means. Thus, earlier than we proceed any additional, it’s our accountability to elucidate what opportunistic an infection means.
Understanding Opportunistic Infections
Stage 3 HIV, additionally known as AIDS, reduces the physique’s capability to struggle infections and different related problems. In this stage, latent infections that after induced minimally or no well being issues could cause severe points. These sicknesses that use the beneficial situation to assault an in any other case wholesome particular person are known as opportunistic infections.
Some of the widespread opportunistic infections as acknowledged by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention are:
- Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP): This is a kind of fungal lung an infection which happens in folks with weak immune methods. The first indicators of an infection are problem respiration, excessive fever, and dry cough.
- Tuberculosis (TB): It is a communicable illness which spreads by way of the air when an individual with TB coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Breathing within the micro organism can result in an infection within the lungs signalled by way of cough, tiredness, weight reduction, fever, and evening sweats.
- Candidiasis (Thrush): It’s a fungal an infection which impacts the pores and skin, nails, and mucous membranes all through the physique such because the mouth and vagina.
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV): CMV can infect a number of components of the physique and trigger pneumonia, gastroenteritis (particularly belly ache brought on by an infection of the colon), encephalitis (an infection) of the mind, and sight-threatening retinitis (an infection of the retina in the back of the attention). People with CMV retinitis have problem with the imaginative and prescient that worsens over time and results in full blindness if not handled promptly.
- Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV): HSV is a standard latent virus that usually causes no main issues for folks with a wholesome immune system. However, at occasions the virus can get activated and trigger painful sores in or across the mouth ulcers in or across the genitals or anus. In folks with weak immune methods, HSV could cause an infection of the respiration and swallowing tubes and even trigger pneumonia.
- Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC): These micro organism dwell in our surroundings, together with in soil and mud particles. Infections with these micro organism unfold all through the physique and might be life-threatening in folks with weakened immune methods.
- Wasting Syndrome: Wasting is outlined because the involuntary lack of greater than 10% of 1’s physique weight (primarily muscle mass) whereas having diarrhoea or weak point and fever for greater than 30 days.
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy: This uncommon mind and spinal twine illness is seen nearly completely in folks whose immune methods have been severely broken by HIV.
An individual with HIV additionally has the next probability of creating varied types of most cancers. These embody:
- Lymphoma: It is the most cancers of the lymph nodes and different lymphoid tissues within the physique.
- Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS): It’s a kind of viral an infection, generally known as herpesvirus8, that causes the small blood vessels to develop abnormally. It seems within the type of pink, purple or black spots on the pores and skin that may be both raised or flat. KS might be life-threatening when it impacts organs contained in the physique, such because the lung, lymph nodes, or intestines.
- Invasive Cervical Cancer: Cervical most cancers begins inside the cervix (the decrease a part of the uterus on the high of the vagina) and spreads (turns into invasive) to different components of the physique. A latest research has discovered that girls dwelling with HIV have the next danger for cervical most cancers when put next with girls with out HIV an infection. Receiving an early prognosis may also help restrict most cancers’s unfold.
While these opportunistic infections are evident indicators of HIV an infection there are numerous different signs that sign the presence of this an infection in all three levels. Let’s check out the levels, their traits and signs.
HIV Stages and Symptoms
Stage 1: Acute Infection Stage
This consists of the primary few weeks when somebody has contracted the virus. The virus reproduces quickly on this part to which the particular person’s immune system responds by producing antibodies. The viral load i.e. the quantity of HIV discovered within the bloodstream is the best on this part and thus the danger of transmission can be the best.
Some people might present no signs initially and others don’t realise the severity of the signs since these are similar to that of the widespread chilly or flu. Furthermore, the signs resolve inside a couple of weeks or months because the particular person progresses into the second stage of HIV. The following signs of the primary stage of HIV an infection are collectively known as Retroviral syndrome.
Symptoms of Acute HIV Infection
- Fever and chills
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Nausea
- Upset abdomen
- Swollen lymph nodes
- General aches and pains
- Skin rash
- Night sweats
Stage 2: Clinical Latency Stage/ Asymptomatic HIV
After the retroviral syndrome seemingly resolves, the HIV virus enters the second part of the an infection which may final from a couple of years to a long time relying on the extent of remedy. Even although folks might ‘feel’ properly and ‘appear’ wholesome throughout this part, the virus continues to wreck the immune system and inside organs. Some folks don’t expertise any signs throughout this part, whereas others might have minimal or nonspecific signs.
Symptoms of Clinical Latency Stage
- Pains and aches within the physique
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Skin rash
- Recurrent fever
- Recurrent pneumonia
- Recurrent oral or vaginal yeast formation
- Diarrhoea
- Rapid weight reduction
- Swollen lymph nodes
Stage 3: AIDS Infection
If an individual with HIV doesn’t obtain efficient remedy, the virus weakens the physique’s capability to struggle an infection, lastly resulting in AIDS. According to the CDC, an individual’s life expectancy is diminished to three years in case of an absence of correct remedy. However, with efficient and well timed medicine, HIV might by no means even progress into its following levels.
Additionally, The probabilities of HIV progressing to AIDS differ from individual to individual relying on varied components akin to age, underlying well being situation, genetic resistance to the actual HIV pressure and the pressure of HIV.
Various opportunistic infections and cancers assist medical doctors establish this stage of HIV an infection. Alongside, there are different signs as properly.
Symptoms of AIDS an infection
- Night sweats
- Fatigue
- Dry cough
- White spots on the tongue or mouth
- Shortness of breath
- Swollen glands
- Chronic diarrhoea
- Persistent fever
Even although most of those signs are gender-neutral and there are a couple of specific ones as properly.
HIV Symptoms In Men & Women
The footnote is that for each these genders, the danger of STIs multiplies if they’re already contaminated with HIV. Having stated that, there are a couple of specifics primarily based on the kind of genitals an individual possesses.
In these with a penis, HIV an infection might trigger sores on their genitals. In the case of those with a vagina, HIV multiplies their vulnerability to quite a few well being considerations akin to pelvic inflammatory illness, human papillomavirus(HPV) and adjustments within the menstrual cycle.
We’ve now mentioned the foremost pointers of this life-threatening illness. But what about its unfold? How does it get transmitted? What are the primary channels? Let’s discover out!
Channels Of HIV Transmission
HIV transmits when physique fluids containing the virus come into contact with a permeable barrier or small breaks in moist tissues of areas of the physique.
To say it extra particularly, HIV can transmit by way of:
- blood
- semen
- pre-seminal fluid
- vaginal or fluids
- rectal fluids
- breast milk
The few widespread methods through which HIV is transferred from one particular person to a different particular person are:
- Intercourse – vaginal and anal (commonest)
- Sharing needles, syringes, and different injecting gear for drug use
- Using the identical tattoo gear with out sterilising it between makes use of
- Childbearing and childbirth (mom to child)
- Breastfeeding
- Premastication (chewing a child’s meals earlier than feeding)
- Exposure to the semen, vaginal and rectal fluids, blood or breast milk of somebody contaminated with HIV, akin to a needle stick.
That sounds scary, isn’t it? And most likely this worry is the rationale for thus many myths that encompass the unfold of this notorious virus. Let us bust some for you.
Busting Common HIV Myths
- HIV CAN BE transmitted by way of oral intercourse and blood or organ transfusion. However, hospitals rigorously take a look at for HIV amongst blood, organ, and tissue donors which leaves a negligible probability for the virus to unfold through this route. Next, analysis means that it’s extraordinarily uncommon however potential for HIV to unfold by way of oral intercourse when there are open sores or bleeding gums within the particular person’s mouth.
- HIV CANNOT dwell outdoors the human physique for lengthy. There is scientific proof that 90-99 % of the virus dies inside hours after being uncovered to air. Furthermore, the CDC says HIV doesn’t survive in water. This means you can’t get HIV And lastly, one can’t get HIV from touching a floor beforehand touched by an HIV constructive.
- Studies counsel that HIV CANNOT be unfold by way of saliva so kissing and sharing meals, water or cutlery doesn’t pose any danger.
- Sweat CANNOT include HIV. Shaking fingers, hugging, high-fiving, and related varieties of bodily contact won’t transmit the virus.
- Tears CANNOT carry HIV so subsequent if you see an HIV-positive particular person crying, don’t hesitate to wipe their tears.
- Mosquito bites CANNOT unfold HIV. To transmit HIV, a mosquito or one other insect must chunk an individual with HIV, after which inject the blood again into one other particular person’s physique. Mosquitos don’t reinject blood and thus this channel of transmission is virtually unattainable. On high of this, HIV doesn’t survive in mosquitoes because of the completely different genetic make-up in contrast with human DNA.
Knowing the channels of the an infection has made it simpler to know what we are able to do to curb its unfold.
Preventing HIV
- Get examined for HIV – Being conscious of your HIV standing is essential on your well being and well-being, as it may allow you to entry the mandatory remedy early and forestall problems.
- Get examined for STIs – STIs enhance the danger of contracting HIV and thus it’s necessary to maintain a tab in your total well being.
- Practice protected intercourse – Use condoms. Learn the proper strategy to placed on condoms and use it when you’ve got intercourse, whether or not it’s vaginal or anal intercourse. It’s necessary to understand that pre-seminal fluids (which come out earlier than male ejaculation) may also include HIV. You may also use condoms or dental dams throughout oral intercourse to scale back the minimal danger.
- Never share needles or related paraphernalia. HIV is transmitted by way of blood and might be contracted by utilizing supplies which have are available in contact with the blood of somebody who has HIV.
- Consider PrEP – An individual who’s at the next probability of contracting HIV ought to discuss to their healthcare supplier about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). If taken persistently, it may decrease the danger of buying HIV. PrEP is a mixture of two medication out there in tablet kind.
In Aid Of Each Other
It’s ironic that the illness known as AIDS is topic to unbelievable stigma. Let’s come collectively in help of one another to eradicate AIDS. On World AIDS Day, allow us to all pledge to be empathetic in direction of those that are preventing towards the illness.
Going by the phrases of the Late Princess Diana, HIV doesn’t make folks harmful, so shake their fingers and provides them a hug as a result of heaven is aware of they want it! Governments and varied NGOs around the globe are taking initiatives to coach folks about AIDS and eradicate the illness.
All we’d like is an open mindset and a transparent coronary heart for a greater tomorrow. Remember, HIV isn’t a loss of life sentence however merely a continual illness that may be managed with correct remedy. Your family members can lead an extended life even after getting contaminated with HIV and even AIDS so long as they’re taking their medicine consciously and main a wholesome life-style.
The following are the AIDS Helpline contact particulars for these in want.
India (National AIDS Control Organisation)
Tollfree Number: 1097
Telephone: 011-43509999, 011-23731778
Email Id: dgnaco@gmail.com
United Kingdom
Telephone: 0800 137 437
The USA
Telephone: 1800 448 0440
Email Id: ContactUs@HIVinfo.nih.gov
Let’s perceive the sickness in order that we’re not fearful of it anymore, as a result of who fears the recognized anyway?
“It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance.” – Elizabeth Taylor.
